Dragonriders of Earth
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Ben's intentions of helping Pern ends up becoming a life changing adventure for his team. Involves everything from Thread fighting, to dragon awesomeness, to romance. Ben 10 Alien Force/Dragonriders of Pern Crossover. Enjoy
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, here's the dealio. I've been obsessed with Dragonriders of Pern ever since I started reading Dragonflight three weeks ago. I am now around halfway through Dragonquest…right after the point when F'nor and Brekke…well…yeah… Anyway, I'm also majorly obsessed with Ben 10 Alien Force, as I'm sure my fans already know. So, when the idea for this Crossover came to mind, there was no stopping it! It's too perfect, the more I think about it! Now, I know what ya'll are thinking: "You promised yourself not to make any new stories until you update all of your current chapter stories." Well, a combination of writer's intuition for this story and writer's block for the others makes this situation COMPLETELY not my fault! Anyway, enjoy! ^_^**

"Okay, Tennyson…what exactly do you intend to do once we get there?" Kevin asked Ben in an annoyed voice. "I mean, these Thread things will be falling for a couple decades and we can only stay throughout summer break. At least you guys have to go home at summer break…why do you go to school again?" Gwen rolled her eyes at him.

"Kevin, we go to school because there's more to life than fighting aliens and trading technology." Kevin gave her an uncomprehending look.

"How is that?" Gwen sighed and leaned back against the seat, knowing that this debate would be pointless.

"Come on, Kevin! Anything we can do to help is fine by me! I have it all planned out! I'll have one of their dragons scratch the Omnitrix and I'll be able to help get rid of the Threads in dragon form." Kevin leaned back.

"It's not like you'll make much of an impact in three months. Especially if you compare it to how long these things will be falling! …Hey, Ship! Are these seats retractable? I'm tired."

"SHIP!" The seat shot back with such force, that Kevin bumped his head.

"OUCH!" He rubbed his head. "Thanks a lot…" Julie leaned back in her seat, which Ship had gently retracted for her.

"Lighten up, Kevin! This'll be fun!" Kevin rolled his eyes.

"Oh yeah…like we've had such luck with dragons before." Ben turned toward him.

"Hey! I kept him from destroying the Forever Knights, didn't I? Plus, he's a different dragon from a different planet so…Nya!" He stuck his tongue out at Kevin. Gwen gave him a withering look.

"Nya? Seriously, Ben?" Ben grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

"It works for me!" He yawned and closed his eyes. "Wake me up when we get there, Ship. Okay?"

…………………………………………………..

"SHIP!!!!"

Ben sat up abruptly, not because of Ship's wake up call, but because of a new terror that entered his heart and shook all fatigue from his mind. He looked around and saw Gwen, Kevin, and Julie awake, their faces mirroring his fear. "Wh-what's going on?" He stammered. At that moment, a red light pulsated into the inside of Ship. Ben turned his head slowly to see the source, a red star. He felt a cold sweat on his face and his chest pounded so badly, it felt as if he would explode. Julie made a whimpering noise and snuggled up against him.

"I'm scared, Ben…I don't know why but…I'm really, really scared…" Ben patted her arm gently.

"I know Julie…I know…" He whispered in a trembling voice, resting his head on top of hers.

Kevin turned toward Gwen, whose eyes were wide with horror. Slowly, he extended a hand toward her. She turned toward him, blinking curiously, before understanding and moving until she was next to him. He wrapped his right arm around her and held her close. She shivered against the cold metal but didn't protest. "Don't worry, Gwen. Everything will be okay…" He murmured, trying to hide his own fear.

"SHIP!"

They passed out of sight of the star as they drew closer to the planet and the terror slowly ebbed away. Still, Julie and Gwen didn't move away from Ben and Kevin until Ship had finally landed. When solid ground was finally reached, Ship immediately turned back to his normal form. Everyone stood up and looked around for a few minutes before turning to Ben for instruction.

"Okay, guys. These people are kinda like Earth, meaning that they get little to no known contact with other worlds. We may come as a shock to them." Kevin threw his hands into the air.

"Wonderful! We come to a planet that'll freak upon seeing us! Why didn't you tell me?! I left my DNAlien mask at home! They'll shoot me on sight!" Ben walked over and gripped Kevin's shoulder.

"Focus, Kevin! Just because they get little contact doesn't mean they'll shoot us on sight. To be honest, I'm not sure if they have guns." Kevin stared at Ben.

"How did you even get the idea to come here in the first place?!"

"I was talking to Grandpa Max and he told me about Pern. He said that this was the time when Threads were falling and I thought, since we have a lot of down time, we could help. Our parents were cool with it!" Kevin sat down in the grass.

"Great. Just great. I'm stuck on a planet of giant flying lizards for three months. I could be making some money on alien tech but _noooo._ Mr. Ben 10 wanted to waste three months blowing fire at big silver strands falling from the sky. Why did I come with you again?" Ben gave him an innocent smile.

"Because you love spending time with us?" Kevin wasn't amused.

"Yeah…no!" A small crooning sound interrupted them. Kevin turned to see a tiny green figure moving toward them, her head slightly tilted. She was hungry. "Hey Ben…gimme one of the lunch packs."

"Why do you want me to-"

"Just hand me one." Kevin muttered, not taking his eyes off of the small creature. He felt the bag being pressed into his hand and he slowly reached in, pulling out a chunk of corned beef. He reached his hand toward the tiny animal and placed the meat on the ground. She leapt toward it and ate it up immediately. She wanted more. Kevin placed another piece on the ground, slightly closer to where he was sitting. He made a small trail up to his hand. The little animal ate each piece of meat before eying the one that Kevin now held. 'It's okay…' He found himself thinking. 'I won't hurt you…' The little green lizard snapped the meat from his fingers and he felt a surge of happiness. The creature let out a yawn and moved into Kevin's outstretched hand. He tenderly cradled the sleeping reptile in his arms. 'Kinda cute…' He thought, gazing down at her. He heard Gwen move close and kneel next to him.

"It looks like a tiny dragon." Kevin nodded.

"Yeah…do you think she's a dragon that just hatched?" Ben bent down and examined her.

"No…dragon hatchlings are much bigger. It think that's a fire lizard hatchling." Kevin stood up.

"A fire lizard huh…?" He listened to the steady breathing of the little green lizard and smiled. Julie moved close to him and gently ran her finger across the smooth scales.

"Looks like you made a new friend, Kevin." She muttered before walking over to Ship and giving him instructions to not morph into anything until told to.

Kevin glanced at Gwen, who had left his side and was now hovering in midair, trying to gain her bearings with her Anodite powers. He turned to the lizard and whispered quietly to her. "I'll name you Mana." The lizard stirred slightly and Kevin felt a wave of appreciation move through his mind. It was a good name.

A roar cut through everyone's thoughts. Gwen quickly stood upright again while Ben and Julie turned toward the sky and Kevin instinctively held Mana closer to his chest. A large shining bronze colored beast was circling above them. Upon closer inspection, they could see a person riding on a leather saddle attached to the creature's neck. There was no doubts that this was one of the dragons. The dragon slowly hovered before landing in front of them. The human jumped off of his back and moved toward them.

"I am T'bor, Weyrleader of the Southern Weyr, and rider of Orth. Who are you and what brings you here?" There was a combination of characteristic curiosity and forced hostility. Whoever this person was, he wanted to be intimidating, but wasn't succeeding. Ben took a step forward.

"My name is Ben Tennyson. Have you heard of me?" T'bor's uncomprehending look answered him. "Well, I'm from offplanet and came to help with your Thread problem." T'bor looked even more confused.

"How could you have come from offplanet and how can you help us?" Ben took a step forward.

"Please take us back to your Weyr. This will take a lot of explaining."

……………………………………………………….

"So you see, I am supposed to help planets in need. When I heard about Pern, I wanted to come and see if I could perform a service to your cause." Ben finally finished. T'bor and the other riders who had attended this discussion were looking at Ben with expressions that varied from disbelief to suspicion. T'bor made a request that Ben expected.

"Show us how you change into another creature." Ben was already on his feet and looking through the Omnitrix. The riders looked at the flashing green pictures with interest and he smiled smugly.

'If that impresses them…they aint seen nothing yet!' He finally decided on going Big Chill and slammed his head on the watch. "Big…Chill…" Some of the riders moved back away from him but T'bor gazed at him with an expression of wonder on his face.

"Amazing…" He moved close and carefully inspected Ben who stood patiently. One by one, riders moved forward, touching his cold moth wings and staring into his green insect eyes. Finally, T'bor spoke once more.

"How can you help us?" Ben changed back into his human form before speaking.

"I want the strongest dragon you have to scratch the Omnitrix. His or her DNA will go into the watch and combine with my own, making it possible for me to change into a dragon. I'll be able to help fight the Threads." T'bor frowned slightly, clearly in deep thought.

"The biggest dragon in Pern…you'll want a fighting dragon for I am unsure on how combining your DNA with a queen will affect you…" He nodded slowly. "If we will do this…our best candidate would be Mnementh." Ben tilted his head.

"Mnementh?" T'bor nodded.

"He is the bronze of F'lar of Benden Weyr. He is large in size and is also very skilled in fighting Thread. We will need F'lar and Mnementh's consent of course. This is indeed interesting… There is much to consider, however. Since you aren't a true dragon, it is anyone's guess if you will have the same instincts. Will you require a rider and if so, how will you bond with one? Will you even be able to go _between_?" He shook his head. "We will need to discuss this with F'lar." He turned toward the outside where Orth was, clearly giving him instructions. "You will ride with us to Benden to talk about this with F'lar." He added, more to himself: "It would be no good going to the Oldtimers…they'd probably have a heart attack and die…" The sound of another dragon landing close to Orth came to everyone's ear. "Let us go."

Kevin looked up as Ben walked over and felt a surge of relief. The women who walked by kept giving him fearful looks. It was quite annoying and humiliating. "Well? Where are we going?" Ben glanced at each of them in turn.

"We're traveling to Benden Weyr to talk to their leader." Kevin looked nervously at Mana.

"Would journeying scare her?" T'bor walked over and looked down at the lizard.

"I doubt it. By how much you have been feeding her up to now, she'll sleep through everything."

Kevin nodded before noticing that T'bor was staring at him. He clearly wanted to ask Kevin something but decided against it. Kevin was glad. He knew all to well what he had wanted to ask: What are you? The problem was that Kevin really didn't know.

Gwen and Julie walked toward a brown dragon, who his rider, F'nor introduced as Canth. The dragon gazed at them solemnly before turning toward his rider. The two seemed to be sharing an intimate discussion. Canth looked at Gwen, Julie, Ben, and Kevin in turn before nodding his head at F'nor. F'nor nodded back before turning back to the girls.

"You will ride with me." He said in a calm voice.

Kevin noticed a small golden body cradled in a sling on F'nor's arm and walked over. "You have one as well?" F'nor turned toward him and let out an exclamation of surprise upon seeing Mana.

"Were there any more where you found her?" He whispered. Kevin shook his head.

"No. Just Mana." F'nor tilted his head.

"Mana…interesting name. This is Grall." He indicated the larger golden fire lizard. He looked back at Kevin and scrutinized him carefully for a few minutes before turning back to Canth.

Kevin groaned quietly. Why oh why had he forgotten that mask?

Ben walked over to Orth, who he and Kevin would be riding. The magnificent bronze creature gazed at him with a look of mild curiosity. Ben reached over and tentatively scratched the beast's eye ridge. Orth closed a lid over his jewel like eye and made a crooning sound. Ben smiled. These dragons were certainly nicer than that one the Forever Knights had kept! His thoughts were interrupted by T'bor.

"It's time to fly to Benden Weyr."

**This is my first Crossover story. Review and don't be too harsh! Anyway, you see now how Ben 10 and Pern can combine so beautifully? I know you do! Now, those people who have read the whole series, don't judge me! I am going off of where I currently am in the book. Anyway, I'll update soon! Bye all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**No reviews for Chapter 1. I'm sad… Anyway, my Pern obsession remains strong and this story will only get better so stay tuned.**

Kevin looked around as Orth took to the sky. His stomach lurched as they drew further and further from solid ground. He quickly stopped looking down, not wanting his troubled thoughts to reach Mana. He absentmindedly began stroking her scales. Orth started to fly faster and Kevin clutched the lizard closer to him. At the next second, everything faded. Nothing existed. He was cold, so cold! He scrunched his eyes shut, trying to block out the nothing that engulfed him.

Ben forced himself to stay calm. He knew that he was going _between_. It was even colder than he had imagined it. The cold slashed mercilessly at his face, stinging him terribly. His fingers were going numb. His mind could detect nothing. 'Three…two…one…'

Julie whimpered and held a shivering Ship close under her jacket. 'So cold…so cold…' She trembled and held on tighter to Ship.

"Ship…Ship…" Ship muttered. Julie stroked him with shaking fingers.

"Steady, Ship…It'll be okay…"

Gwen tried to get a tighter grip on Canth's scales but found that she couldn't feel anything. She couldn't feel herself. She couldn't feel the dragon she rode on. She couldn't feel Julie who was supposedly behind her. The ice…there was ice growing inside her…it was unbearable…

All at once, the cold of _between_ stopped and the two dragons were flying through normal air again. The four let out sighs of relief. T'bor turned back to Ben and Kevin.

"Are you two okay? This was your first trip _between_ I assume." Ben and Kevin nodded slowly.

"Yeah…I'm fine…" Ben muttered.

Kevin didn't say anything but loosened his tight hold on Mana, who was beginning to squawk her protest. 'That…was awful…'

F'nor glanced back at the two girls. "You handled that quite well. I'm impressed!" He exclaimed. "Most girls scream the first time they go _between_."

Gwen smiled proudly. "We've been through more than the average girl."

Julie nodded in agreement. Ship slowly peeked out of her jacket.

"Ship…" He said in a voice that was clearly a groan.

"There, there Ship." Julie whispered. F'nor looked at Ship curiously.

"What exactly is that?"

"A Mechomorph." Julie promptly replied.

"A…what?"

"An alien life form that can take over technology." F'nor nodded slowly, clearly still confused but not wanting to go into a long discussion. At that moment, two large brassy voices were heard coming from the mountain. Julie turned to see a beautiful golden dragon and a powerful bronze dragon flying out onto a ledge to meet them.

_Welcome, new friend. It is an honor to meet you._

Julie blinked a few times. "F'nor, did you say something?" F'nor shook his head.

"No. I said nothing." He turned his attention back to Canth. 'Are you sure that these humans are good candidates?'

_Have I ever been wrong before?_

'No, you've never been wrong before…'

Julie, meanwhile, was pondering that voice she had heard. It hadn't been F'nor. Besides, it sounded like a female voice.

Ben was the first to jump off as Orth landed on the ledge. He looked up at the large bronze dragon. He had an aura of power about him. He was definitely Mnementh. The dragon regarded him calmly, his large eyes focused, his large muscles clearly visible under his hard scales. Ben felt his heart do a flip. He could imagine all too well what it would be like having _his _DNA in the Omnitrix.

F'lar jumped off of Mnementh and regarded the newcomers. The brunette that was eying Mnementh caught his attention quickly. 'Why does he look at Mnementh so…?' His thoughts were diverted by the second person…thing that got off of Orth. What was he?! His body looked like it was composed of minerals. He had a fierce look in his eye, as if he had gone through years of suffering. F'lar barely noticed the green fire lizard that was cradled in the creature's arms. The creature met his eyes and glared evenly back, daring F'lar to challenge him. F'lar was immediately on his guard but forced himself to not respond. He managed to get his attention away from the creature to look at the two young girls who now got off of Canth. One of them had short black hair and held a strange blob-like animal in her arms. She looked fragile, as if a simple flap of Mnementh's wing could blow her away. The other girl had fiery red hair and a sparkle in her green eyes. She looked around, gaining her bearings immediately. Clearly, she wasn't the naïve type.

_The brown haired boy is the leader._ Mnementh told him.

F'lar nodded and turned to the boy, who had turned his gaze from Mnementh to him. He extended his hand. "I am F'lar, Weyrleader of Benden Weyr, rider of Mnementh." The boy nodded courteously as he shook F'lar's hand.

"I am Ben Tennyson of Earth. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Strange title…but at least he had nice manners. F'lar turned to Lessa who had jumped off of Ramoth and was now waiting to introduce herself. F'lar stepped away from Ben to turn to the creature. He extended his hand, which the creature took in his right metallic hand, and repeated the introduction.

"Kevin Levin. Also of Earth." The creature replied curtly. The fire lizard, disturbed by Kevin's movement, moved up onto his shoulder.

Ben shook hands with Lessa and nodded at the golden dragon she introduced as Ramoth. Ramoth's rainbow eyes gazed softly at him. Yes…these dragons were WAY nicer than that other one!

Lessa extended her hand toward the black haired girl, wary of the black and green blob that bounded at her ankles. "I am Lessa, Weyrwoman of Benden Weyr, rider of Ramoth." She said formally while carefully analyzing this new arrival.

_Canth says that they would be good candidates for Impressing my and Lamanth's newest clutches._

Lessa looked at the orange haired girl carefully as she shook her hand. Good candidates? These strangers? Well…the dragons usually know best… She turned away from Gwen to see F'lar and Ben in deep discussion.

"So, if Mnementh scratched the Omnitrix…" F'lar shook his head.

"Absolutely out of the question. A dragon without a rider is only half of a whole. You will be unable to navigate _between_ since you aren't a true dragon and the effects of firestone on you is unpredictable." Ben's shoulders slumped.

"Great…we come all this way and we can't do a thing…" He turned back dejectedly to the others. "I suppose we should go back home." F'lar took a step toward him.

"Wait, Ben. There is still a way you can help us." Ben turned toward him and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah? How?" F'lar led Ben and the others into the queen's Weyr.

"Our senior queen, Ramoth and our junior queen, Lamanth have new clutches of eggs. According to Canth, you four are very likely candidates for the next Impression." Ben froze.

"Wait…do you mean that we can have dragons of our own?" F'lar nodded.

"If you are satisfactory. Remember, the dragon does the choosing." Ben turned back toward the others.

"What do you say, guys?" Kevin gave him a dry look.

"Like you'll give us a choice!" Ben grinned sheepishly.

"True…" Julie smiled.

"I think it sounds like fun! Besides, since we're here, we'd might as well do something!"

_My queen egg is fair game, Julie._

Julie blinked and turned toward Ramoth, who was gazing at her intently. 'Was that you, Ramoth?' She thought. Ramoth nodded her head and her eyes glinted cheerfully.

Meanwhile, Gwen noticed Kevin walking away from the group. She walked over to him. "Kevin, are you okay?" Kevin nodded.

"I'm fine." He muttered, scratching Mana on top of her head. "Just tired." F'lar heard him and walked over.

"We have plenty of extra rooms for guests. Lessa will show you all to your rooms." Lessa shot him a glare before brushing past the four.

"This way, please." She said calmly. Everyone followed after her, toward the rooms. She brought them to four separate rooms, all next to each other. "There is a bath in the back of each room. You see the tables. If you need anything, call down that hatch over there and food will be brought to you." She paused. "Now that I think about it…you could all use a cup of _klah._" She walked into the first room and called down. "Four hot cups of _klah_ if you please." She strode past them. "Enjoy your stay."

Kevin walked into the room that Lessa had just left and slumped down on the bed. Mana crawled off of his arm and curled up by his pillow. "This place may not have a lot going for it so far, but it has great beds!" He said in a satisfied voice. Gwen rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the chairs.

"Now that we're finally alone, we can discuss what we're going to do next. Are we really serious about getting dragons? I mean, isn't having a dragon a big responsibility?" Kevin sat up.

"Who cares? Ben isn't giving us much choice." Ben waved his hands.

"Hey, hey! I'm only making you guys stay with me! I'm not telling you to get a dragon if you don't want one!" Julie sat down next to Gwen.

"I want one! They're very nice. Ramoth told me that her queen egg was fair game." Three pairs of eyes turned on her. Ben sat down next to her and gazed intently at her.

"You heard Ramoth speaking?" Julie nodded.

"Yeah. Is that normal?" Ben shook his head slowly.

"No…not everyone can hear all dragons…mostly a person only hears his or her dragon." He stood up. "This is very interesting…" At that moment, the sounds of a tray being brought up broke through everyone's thoughts. Ben walked over to the hatch where four steaming mugs of a hot liquid waited. He picked one up and took a tentative sip. A smile came to his face. "It tastes kinda like cinnamon."

Kevin grabbed one and started chugging before letting out a yelp of pain. "Hot! Hot! Hot!" Ben rolled his eyes at him.

"Slow down, Kevin! Didn't the steam hint at the fact that this stuff is…I dunno…HOT?" Kevin glared at him.

"Careful, Tennyson or you'll have this on your head!"

"Bring it!"

Gwen quickly put up a force field between the two. "Cool it, you guys!" She sighed in an exasperated way as she took a sip from her own cup. "I say that we wait and see what these people are like. We'll lie low for awhile and make our decisions later." Kevin snorted a little, causing Mana to jump in surprise.

"Yeah…like I can lie low looking like this!" Gwen walked over and sat next to him.

"It's okay, Kevin." Kevin smiled, reassured by Gwen's presence. Close to his pillow, Mana let out a soft croon.

Meanwhile, Julie was gazing out the window at Ramoth.

_You'll see, Julie. You'll be an amazing Weyrwoman._

**I am now in The White Dragon. Ruth is so dang awesome!!! Anyway, in my stories, I'm just going to do what I want. That means that Prideth and Wirenth are still alive! Hope more people start reading this… Bye all!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's Chapter 3. I don't know what I'll do when I finish The White Dragon… Let's hope I'll snag another Pern book before then!**

Julie gently stroked the golden shell of the queen egg. "It's beautiful…" She mused softly. She was aware of Ramoth and Mnementh's gazes on her. The little queen would be even more beautiful. She was sure of it. What would await after the hatching? She glanced at the other candidates for Impression. Everyone seemed pretty sure of themselves. Being born on Pern, they were probably a lot more confident in this atmosphere than she was. They all held and touched their eggs with great self assurance. Kevin seemed hesitant, only lightly brushing his stony hand against an egg that laid apart from the others. Julie looked up at Ramoth's kindly eyes. 'I'm really nervous, Ramoth. What if I do something wrong?'

_Mistakes are a part of life, Julie. You will be fine!_

'Are you sure that I'm the right candidate for your daughter?'

_Absolutely!_

Ben's eyes glimmered in eager anticipation as he felt the egg's surface. It would only be a few days now until Lamanth's clutch hatched! The shell was really hard and smooth. Maybe he'd get a bronze! He really wanted a bronze! Though…there was a weird nagging feeling in the back of his head that was telling him not to Impress. Why? There was something that he would have to do if he Impressed… Whatever. Shaking the thought from his mind, he continued to carefully feel his egg. He was sure that it was his egg at this point. Every time he had come, that egg in particular had stood out. This would be his dragon. He could hardly wait!

Gwen closed her eyes and allowed a tiny pink light to emanate from her hand. The young dragon's mana was easily readable at this point. She could even hear a few words, thoughts, and feelings every now and then.

_Tired …dark…nice…dark…come…out…soon…hatch…_

Gwen smiled softly at the infant's thoughts. 'Yes, little one. You will hatch very soon…' She sent the thought gently through the shell, into the little dragon's mind.

_Soon…come…you…look…me?_

'Yes. Soon when you hatch, I will be looking for you.' She felt happy comforted thoughts coming from within the shell. She looked up at Lamanth whose jewel like eyes gleamed in a content and serene manner. The dragons seemed so sure of everything… 'I can't wait to learn more!'

Kevin's eyes darted around constantly. He felt so exposed out on the sands. Not that he should be there anyway. There had been multiple protests against the "monster" being allowed to Impress. Only because of Lessa and F'lar's influence was he even allowed to touch these eggs. The other candidates wanted to keep their distance and Kevin was all too happy to stay away. One of the eggs had sat apart from the group and he had immediately gravitated toward it. He now softly stroked the hardened shell, not wanting to accidentally crack the egg with his rocky hand. Of course, F'lar and Lessa might as well have kicked him out. It's not like he'd ever Impress a dragon anyway! Dragons weren't like fire lizards. Food wouldn't tempt them. The person had to be worthy in the eyes of the dragon. 'Worthy…' The thought made Kevin snort in contempt. He was hardly even human, much less one worthy of a dragon. Still…he'd might as well humor Ben. The kid wouldn't have shut up until he had agreed. Mana, sensing Kevin's conflict, rubbed her head against his cheek in a comforting manner. Kevin smiled and lightly stroked her tiny eye ridge. "Glad you understand at least, Mana." He murmured affectionately. He was rewarded with a warm feeling in his mind. She was happy. That was enough to lighten Kevin's mood.

Mnementh gazed fondly down at Ramoth, the eggs, and the candidates. He paid careful attention to the two offworlders. They were very interesting, especially Julie and Kevin. _'An offworlder who can hear us…'_ He mused to himself. _'And a mineral composed human being…quite extraordinary…'_

"Well, Mnementh. Lamanth's eggs may hatch tomorrow. Still think that those offworlders should be included?"

Mnementh chuckled fondly at his partner's unsure attitude. _F'lar, I repeat for the thousandth time: Would Lamanth have let them near the eggs if they weren't trustworthy? _He heard a sigh in his head.

"I know, I know. It's just unsettling. Especially that monster intending to Impress one of your and Ramoth's clutch…"

Mnementh suppressed a growl of frustration. _F'lar, Kevin is not a monster! I tire of hearing that word associated with him! I await his Impression more than all of the others. Maybe he will be convinced of his own self worth when he is bonded to a dragon._ He felt F'lar's reluctance. _Have I ever steered you wrong?_

"No…you haven't…it's just that Lessa is also worried."

_I will have Ramoth speak to her._ He stretched his wings and took off from his ledge. _Come. We will go for a flight. You need to calm your nerves._ F'lar met him outside and got on his back without a word. _Also, I suggest keeping the offworlders a secret from the other Weyrs, at least for now._ F'lar chuckled at the thought of the Oldtimers' potential reactions.

"On that, I agree with you completely!"

…………………………………….

Ben held Kevin's Plumber's badge in his hand the following morning. "Hi, Grandpa Max!" He said brightly.

"Hiya, Ben! How's Pern?" Max asked cheerfully. "Will you be able to use the Omnitrix against the Thread?" Ben shook his head.

"No, but I can still help! We all can!" Mana let out a croon from her post on Kevin's shoulder.

"Well, well. I see that Kevin Impressed a fire lizard, eh?" Ben nodded.

"Yeah and it gets better! We're gonna Impress dragons!" Max's eyes flashed and a worried look came to his face.

"Ben, you can't!" He said, his voice containing a stern and desperate edge.

"Why?" Ben asked, confused. 'Is this what I was forgetting…?'

"Don't you remember?! Dragons and their riders are bonded by body, spirit, and soul! They must remain together! If you Impress a dragon, you will have to stay with it!"

"What's the big deal?" Max groaned in frustration.

"Don't you understand, Ben?! Dragons have no place on Earth. I think you know that quite well! If you Impress a dragon, you will have to stay on Pern, permanently!" Ben's eyes widened.

"What?! Oh, man…what'll I do?!" He asked, panicked.

"Calm down. Maybe there'll be time to get another candidate before the hatching. When is the clutch going to hatch?" Max said in a forced calm tone.

"Well…" At that moment, F'lar ran in. Ben hurriedly pocketed the badge.

"Quickly! Lamanth's eggs hatch! Now!" Ben's heart started beating rapidly.

"What? But I-" He was already being pulled through the hallways by F'lar and was put on Mnementh before he could say anything. He saw Kevin run past, his own face mirroring Ben's panic.

"Gwen! Where are you?! Gwen!" Kevin called, trying to make his voice heard over the sounds of the people and dragons making their way to the hatching grounds. Thankfully, people gave him plenty of room. "Gwen!" He saw her just as F'nor helped her on Canth and took to the sky. "Gwen! Wait! You can't! Stop!" She couldn't stay on Pern! She just couldn't! "GWEN!"

"Kevin?" Gwen heard Kevin's voice just as Canth took off. 'What's wrong?' She wondered, starting to feel anxious. Maybe she should… Canth swooped down onto the hatching grounds and placed Gwen on the hot sands. She turned her head toward the eggs. They were starting to move.

Ben looked around, his eyes darting every which way. 'Maybe I can go Jetray and escape. No, I don't wanna agitate Ramoth. The eggs could get hurt in the panic. Oh man, oh man…' Cracks were forming on the surfaces.

Kevin pushed through the crowd. "Julie!" He gasped when he found Julie. "Big problem!"

Julie, who had been focused on Ben and Gwen, turned toward Kevin. "What's the problem, Kevin? The eggs are going to hatch soon."

"That's the problem!"

"What do you mean?"

Gwen saw Ben's face turned toward her. His eyes were unfocused and had a terrified gleam to them. This startled and unsettled her. This was so unlike Ben. Was he scared of being rejected? No…that's not the type of fear that was in his eyes… "Ben. What is it?" She hissed.

Julie's eyes widened. "They'll have to stay on Pern?! For good?!" Kevin nodded fervently.

"Heard it straight from Grandpa Max! What'll we do?!"

"I'll try to reach Lamanth!" She closed her eyes. "Lamanth, Ben and Gwen need to get out of there now!"

_Why?_ Lamanth sounded genuinely confused.

"They cannot stay on Pern! They have homes and lives on Earth! Impressing a dragon would force them to abandon their homes!" Lamanth growled uneasily.

_I wish I had known that. It is out of my control now, I'm afraid. It all depends now on the dragonets._

Julie shook her head. "It's no use. We gotta hope that fate will be on our side!" Kevin moaned and sat down next to her, looking close to being sick.

"We won't be able to go home?!" Gwen's thoughts went to her school, her friends, her parents, her life. 'I can't live here! I can't! This has been a mistake! We need to get out of here now!' At that moment, the first of the dragons broke out of its shell.

Kevin's eyes followed the small blue dragon as he made his way toward one of the boys. 'Good. Not Ben.' Kevin thought. Julie was clearly thinking the same thing. The eggs cracked and rocked back and forth. More and more dragons came forth. A green went to another boy. A brown went to another. Another blue. A bronze was going toward...

"No!" Julie gasped. She could see the large bronze creature making a beeline toward Ben. 'Maybe I can try to distract it…no…I can't risk interfering…it might get hurt…oh no…' She was interrupted by a horrified gasp from Kevin as a tiny green started shakily walking toward Gwen.

Ben could see the dragon approaching him. 'No, no, no!' The creature let out a soft croon. Ben tried to avoid its eyes. He looked at its hide. 'Bronze…just like I wanted…' He thought bitterly. The dragon walked up to him and gazed at him. Ben could feel its eyes on him, begging him to turn around. He must resist. He must…he chanced a quick look and found himself drowning in the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

So many colors in those two precious gems…so many emotions…so much life… All thought of Earth, family, or anything else faded. All that existed was the beautiful bronze dragon who gazed endearingly at him. Why had he tried to avoid him? Why? Ben could feel the beast's distress at his rejection. "I'm sorry, Paladith! I didn't mean it. I was scared. I'll never reject you! Never!" He bent down and embraced Paladith, whispering reassurances. Paladith understood. He believed Ben's words. He was happy. That simple fact made tears of joy spring up in Ben's eyes. "I'm glad. I'm glad you're happy." He began to scratch Paladith's eye ridge. Paladith…how had he known that?

_Paladith is my name. It is mine and mine alone. Why should we not know it?_

Ben nodded slowly. That made perfect sense. As he lost himself in those bronze scales, that loving gaze, and that soft croon that could be heard in the back of Paladith's throat, he was aware of many things at once. He would never have to worry about being misunderstood. He finally had a best friend, an accomplice, someone who would always support his ideas, his dreams, his desires. He and Paladith were together. Forever.

Gwen's eyes dimmed sadly as she watched Ben embrace his dragon. Resistance faded away. Ben needed someone to take care of him. He still needed family. Gwen knew that he would need her. Her resolve hardened, she turned to face the tiny green creature that stumbled toward her.

Green eyes met green eyes as the creature's thoughts were finally made completely clear. It was as if a cloak had been lifted from her mind. Compassion and serenity spread throughout her whole body and soul.

_I also need you._

Gwen's heart swelled at those words. "Of course you do, little one. I need you as well." Runith tripped on her own feet and fell over with a tiny yelp. Chuckling fondly, Gwen bent down and cradled her sweet emerald head in her arms. "There, there, Runith. Don't walk too fast." Runith nuzzled her affectionately, crooning softly. "You're still so small…" She muttered affectionately. She was overwhelmed by Runith's overall beauty and wonder. She was truly needed by the little dragon. She was so helpless right now…so young… "I'll take care of you, Runith. I promise." Gwen whispered to her dragon. They were so alike in ways that cannot be expressed in words. They were two halves of a whole, never to be parted. Partners, friends, sisters. Two hearts joined in their new unbreakable bond.

Julie buried her face in her hands. 'No…' Oblivious to the excited chatter around her, she began to cry. She faintly heard Kevin stand up and walk away. 'Oh Ben…' Ship whimpered on her lap and attempted to comfort her.

"Ship…"

Kevin rushed out the door and bolted down the hallways. He didn't even notice the few people who jumped out of his way with frightened gasps. He wasn't aware of Mana clinging desperately to his shoulder. He ran into his room and slammed the door shut. Tears began to fall freely. Mana gazed at him, worried. She began licking the salty tears from his cheeks. It was a small comfort compared to the fact that he was alone. Ben and Gwen had dragons. They would stay on Pern forever. The girl he loved and the boy he had come to think of as a brother were now lost to him, gone somewhere out of his reach. He laid down on his bed and cried himself to sleep.

Mana looked down at her friend. He was so sad… She let out a soft whimper and licked stray tears from his face. Better tomorrow. Maybe…better tomorrow… She curled up by his pillow and closed her eyes.

**You like? I know you do! ^_^ I added some suspense and plot here along with some sweet bonding scenes! What will happen to Julie and Kevin? Wait and find out!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, my story is finally starting to take off. I'm actually getting reviews. Also, my Pern book crisis is ended. I may be closing off The White Dragon but I can get to Borders tomorrow. All's good! Also, a reply to GinnyStar: I know that they have hides but I'm so used to the idea of them having scales, I'm likely to slip up. My apologies. Anyway, enjoy! ^_^**

_Kevin doesn't like me, you know._

Gwen wasn't surprised by Runith's resentful comment. "What do you mean, Runith?" She asked anyway, stroking the small dragon's green hide. She silently noted how much of a shining emerald color it was from Runith's recent feeding.

_He doesn't like me. You know that._

"There's no keeping things from you, is there?" Gwen murmured with a sad sigh. She had noticed that Kevin had always made an excuse to leave whenever Runith was even mentioned. He'd been like that since the hatching the previous week. She remembered with some regret the events that had followed her Impression with Runith. She and Ben had gone to the feast but Julie and Kevin had been absent. When they finally came to see them in their rooms, they hadn't wanted to talk. Ben had contacted Grandpa Max the next day and told him of the Impression. Max's sad expression hurt Gwen the most, along with her parents' initial distress. She was pretty sure that that was what hurt Ben the most too. Runith was the only thing that made her feel better about her decision. Still…no one could deny Julie and Kevin's more reserved nature. Kevin was definitely the worst.

_No, there isn't. Even if we weren't linked, I'd easily be able to tell. He gives me dirty looks whenever he sees me._

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Gwen whispered, noting the increasing despair in her partner's voice. "He's just getting used to the idea of us being together."

_He likes you._ Runith said in a matter of fact way. _He doesn't want to leave you and go back to Earth. He feels betrayed because of how much you love me._

Gwen was surprised by Runith's blunt statement. "How do you know this?"

_He is close to your heart and his emotions are very vivid sometimes. It's hard to miss._ Runith replied, laying down on her stone couch with a yawn. _I am tired now. I will take a nap._ She closed her eyes and left Gwen to her thoughts.

Gwen sat down on her bed of furs and stared off into space. Now was probably the best time to talk to Kevin now that Runith was sleeping. With a tender glance at the quietly snoring beast, Gwen left the room.

Mana chirped at Kevin, alerting him of Gwen's presence. He instinctively tensed. Mana's reassurances that the bigger green one was asleep eased his discomfort a little. "Hey Gwen." He said, trying to sound cheerful as she walked in.

"Hi Kevin. I want to talk to you about something." Kevin groaned, as Gwen expected. "It's about Runith." Kevin's eyes flashed and he started to stand up.

"You know, I think that Ben wanted me to-" Gwen put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sit, Kevin. You aren't getting out of this one." Kevin reluctantly sat down again. "Listen, Kevin…I know how you feel about Runith."

"And?"

"And I think you should tell me why." Kevin didn't meet her gaze.

"I told you before that I never want to lose you." He muttered. "Now you have your dragon here on Pern and can't go home with me."

"Kevin…you could stay here you know." Kevin sighed.

"I know. I just don't fit in here. I wanted all of us to live together on Earth, fighting aliens and living life as we always had. Now that can never happen." Gwen moved close to him and wrapped her arms around him. Kevin smiled a little at how warm she was.

"Kevin, I promise that as long as we are all together, it doesn't matter where we are." She felt Kevin sigh. "Besides, Ramoth's clutch will hatch in a few days. I'm sure you'll bond to a very nice dragon."

"Gwen…I'm not going to Impress. That's the problem." Gwen sat upright and gazed curiously at him.

"What?"

"Julie and I are taking Ship back to Earth. We're going to join with Grandpa Max's team to continue fighting aliens on Earth. Since you and Ben aren't coming back, someone has to keep fighting." He buried his face in his hands. "Grandpa Max and our parents made us both promise to come home and to not come back."

Gwen's eyes widened. "Kevin…I…didn't realize…" She shook her head. "How soon are you leaving?"

"Three days." Kevin's voice was bitter and grim. "Haven't you noticed how depressed Ben's been lately? Paladith picked up her feelings and told them to Ben. She doesn't know that he knows yet…" He turned away. "I'm sorry." His voice cracked and Gwen threw her arms around him.

"Oh Kevin…" She began to sob. Her emotional turmoil awoke Runith who began to panic.

"You'd better go to her." Kevin muttered before quickly getting up and walking away. His heart ached so badly…

Gwen nodded slowly and walked down the hall to calm Runith.

_What is wrong?! What happened?!_ Runith gasped, turning her wedge shaped head back and forth frantically. Gwen quickly rushed to her side.

"I'm sorry, Runith. I was just talking to Kevin…he's going to be leaving for good. That's why he's been so sad." Runith's eyes clouded with sadness for her friend.

_I'm sorry._ She paused and turned her head toward the window. _Mnementh says that he is wandering outside by himself._

Gwen, taking the hint, nodded and ran outside. "Kevin?" She called. "Kevin, where are you?" She saw Kevin turn his head toward her.

"How's Runith?" He asked this only out of courtesy.

"She's fine. She was just startled by my crying." She took a deep breath. "Kevin, are you sure that you need to leave?" Kevin nodded his head sadly.

"My mom doesn't normally get worked up about anything. With this, however, she went off her nut! She wouldn't stop until I assured her that I'd come home within three days and not come back." Tears started to fall down his face. "I don't wanna go. I want to stay with you. Whether or not I'm an outcast…it doesn't matter as long as I have you."

Gwen responded by taking Kevin's face tenderly in her hands. "Kevin…" She murmured, kissing his cheek gently. "You'll always have me." Kevin closed his eyes under her touch.

"That's not true…I'm going to leave after all." Gwen snuggled up against him.

"Then let's make the most of the time we have left." Kevin wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. Gwen closed her eyes and smiled serenely. She felt Kevin rest his head on top of hers as he gently rocked her back and forth.

Later on, Kevin carried a sleeping Gwen up to her room and placed her in her bed. A low thrumming caught his attention as he ruefully realized that Runith was awake. He nodded curtly before starting to leave. To his surprise, Runith bounded in front of him, blocking the doorway. She gazed intently at him before inclining her head toward the sleeping Gwen. The look in her eye wasn't easy to miss. Kevin nodded before walking back over to where Gwen lay. Carefully, he eased himself into the warm furs next to her and felt her immediately cuddle into him. She fit against him so well… He wrapped his arms around her, smiling at the familiar feel of her red cotton shirt. She'd have to change tomorrow. She hadn't changed into pajamas before falling asleep. He rested his head on the pillow and glanced at Runith, whose eyes hadn't left him. He smiled a little and nodded which seemed to be sufficient. Satisfied, Runith went back to her stone couch and fell fast asleep.

Meanwhile, Ben was speaking to Julie on the mountainside under the stars. Someone observing the scene would merely see the two figures whispering quietly. They would then see the two embrace tightly and start to weep. The next sound heard would be the distressed roar of a young bronze dragon. It was a roar that was synonymous in nature to Ben's own tears…

**Hope you enjoyed it! I'm SO mad!!!! The new episode of Alien Force won't air until the Friday after this Friday!!! RAWR!!!! Sorry…I'm just ticked… Now, I'd like to give you some Gwevin prophecies. (I am the Gwevin Prophet after all) I predict that Kevin's dad will return and ask Kevin to go with him to fight aliens offplanet. He will say yes and start to leave but his father, realizing his affection for Gwen, would tell him to not make the same mistake that he had in leaving Kevin's mother and to return to Earth. Then there will be fluffiness of varying ranges. The monster thing will also be brought back into play SOON! Kevin's soft side will be shown A LOT. His past will be illuminated. I also predict that at the time of the Gwevin kiss, whenever it may be, the sound barrier will be broken by the screams of a thousand fangirls. This has been a prediction from the Gwevin Prophet. I'll be putting up Chapter 5 soon! Solora out.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ugh…I just reread Chapter 4 and realized that it's not up to my normal standards… Not at all… I'm going to put extra effort into this one… In this Chapter, Kevin and Julie are going home on Ship. Little do they realize the major trauma that will occur when Ramoth's clutch hatches. Enjoy.**

Kevin stroked Gwen's hair tenderly. Her muffled sobs vibrated against his chest as he tried to keep from sobbing himself. "There, there." He whispered into her ear, trying to comfort her. "We can still talk using our Plumber badges."

"That's not the same…" Gwen whimpered. This was it. Kevin and Julie were leaving and she and Ben were staying. Why did this have to happen? She almost wished that… She quickly eliminated the thought from her head before Runith could hear it. 'No. I could never want to not have Runith. No matter what.' She forced her sobs to subside and she gazed up at Kevin. "I'll miss you…" Kevin hugged her tightly.

"I'll miss you too, Gwen." Why did this have to happen?! Stinking dragons! His eyes fell on Runith who was watching from her couch. Stinking green dragon…

Ben gazed into Julie's eyes, feeling his heart ripping. "I guess it's finally today huh?" Julie nodded her head sadly.

"I'm afraid so." She looked at Ben's emerald eyes for a moment before leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on his lips. She began to pull back when Ben reached forward and pulled her back into another kiss. She closed her eyes as his hands desperately caressed her and his lips moved quickly, trying to get out all that he was feeling in a short amount of time. She responded vigorously, pressing herself against him. She was faintly aware of Paladith's thrumming.

_This is a sweet feeling, Ben._ Paladith commented, feeling warmth in his heart and a soft tingling on his hide.

"It really is…bittersweet though…" Ben replied silently, continuing to kiss Julie with a deep passion. Finally, the two broke apart at the sound of Kevin entering the room. Ben half expected Kevin to tease him. In fact, he hoped that Kevin would tease him! Who knew how long it would be before he would be able to joke around with Kevin like that again… He didn't joke however.

"Time to go." Kevin stated simply, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears. Mana made soft whimpering noises, echoing her friend's depression.

Gwen wrapped her arms around Kevin, not wanting to let go. She gripped Kevin's hand tightly as they walked toward Ship. Julie took a step toward Ship, still holding onto Ben's hand.

"Time to go, Ship." She muttered sadly.

"Ship…" Ship whispered, feeling Julie's sadness, before morphing into the spaceship.

Julie turned toward Ben. "Goodbye, Ben." She sighed, kissing him one last time. Ben wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her close to him. Tears streamed down both of their faces.

Kevin looked nervously at Gwen before finally leaning down and kissing her lips. "Bye, Gwen." He murmured, wiping a tear from her cheek. Gwen hugged him once more. 'Why can't I tell her how I feel?! The words just aren't coming! Dangit!'

After what seemed like only a millisecond, Gwen took a step back. Runith padded over and stared up at Kevin. Kevin glared at her for a moment before speaking.

"Take care of her, okay?" He growled at Runith. "I don't want anything happening to her!" Runith gazed at Kevin with her jeweled eyes and nodded her head. Satisfied, Kevin turned and got into Ship. He and Julie raised their hands in farewell as Ship's doors closed.

Ben turned to Gwen, his eyes watering. "Need a hug?" Gwen nodded and threw herself into her cousin's arms. She sobbed so hard, her shoulders began shaking.

Mana made quiet half keening noises as she curled up on Kevin's lap. She was leaving Pern with her friends but leaving friends behind as well. Why? It made no sense. She gazed up at Kevin and whimpered. She felt a little comfort as Kevin began stroking her, though his sadness was still almost tangible.

Kevin glanced at Julie, who was crying silently. He gave a silent command to Mana, who nodded and moved over to Julie's lap. Julie blinked as the small green lizard nuzzled her hand and crooned comfortingly. Kevin's metal hand rested on her shoulder for a moment. The two looked at each other for a long time before turning back to the space expanding around them.

"Thanks, Kevin." Julie muttered, scratching Mana's head. "I'm glad _you're_ with me, at least. I don't think I could bear it if I had to go through this alone." Kevin nodded and leaned back.

"Me neither." He glanced at Julie out of the corner of his eye. "I'm glad to have a friend like you, Julie. We're gonna need each other a lot more now."

"If only we never came…we'd all still be together." She closed her eyes and began to doze off. "Might as well sleep. It's a long flight back."

Ben held Gwen's hand tightly as they moved through the stands of the Hatching Grounds. Ramoth's eggs were going to hatch soon and they wanted good seats. "Come on, Gwen. Maybe watching the Impression will make us feel better. Just think of how many more people will get dragons today. Plus, there's a queen egg!"

Gwen nodded slowly. "Yes…I suppose so…"

_I am with you, Gwen. I know you're sad but I am with you._ Runith spoke in a comforting voice, wanting to be of some small comfort to her partner.

_Just relax and try to enjoy this, Ben. Nothing will come of constant sadness._ Paladith stated in Ben's mind.

Ben nodded silently, glad to have Paladith nearby. His attention was diverted as the first egg began to crack.

Gwen smiled a little when she saw the small green emerge from the first egg. She looked a lot like Runith… The little creature looked around before gazing into the eyes of one of the young men and making the Impression. This _was_ making her feel better!

Ben smiled as the queen egg began to rock, looking forward to seeing the golden beauty that would come forth. There was a crack as the gold dragon emerged. Ben's breath caught in his throat as he gazed at the magnificent little beast. 'She's beautiful…' He was aware of Paladith's immediate interest as well. That interest suddenly changed to panic.

_Something's wrong, Ben!_ Paladith gasped just as the little queen started to let out terrified yelps. Her eyes darted around in agitation, swirling lavender with worry. _None of the girls are suitable for Impression! If no one pleases her, she will disappear _between_!_

"No!" Ben gasped, overcome with fear for the little queen. "She can't!" At that moment, the overall terror increased as an undersized brown stumbled out of the lone egg on the far end of the grounds. He began to scream wildly and lash out at anyone who came near.

_He wants Kevin! I know he does!_ Runith called to Gwen. _And she wants Julie!_

Gwen was already pulling out her Plumber's badge. 'Come on, Kevin…please pick up!'

Kevin opened his eyes at the sound Mana's wild squeals. "What is it, Mana?" At that moment, his Plumber badge started beeping. "Hello?" Gwen's face appeared in front of him. He smiled warmly. "Miss me already, Gwen?" He joked before stopping short, noting the sheer terror on her face. "What's wrong?" He tried to speak over Mana's shrieks.

"The queen and your egg have hatched and will not Impress! You guys need to come back or they will die! Hurry!" She blinked out in a small flash of green light.

Mana jumped up and down on Kevin's lap and bobbed her head insistently. Kevin turned to Julie.

"We promised to not go back though…" However, he knew that they were going back anyway and was glad. 'I'm coming back, Gwen!' However, as Ship turned around, he still had his doubts. 'No dragon would want a monster like me. There's gotta be a mistake. When we get there, he'll probably already be bonded. But what about Julie?' That was when a sinking feeling set in. 'She's good enough for a dragon! If she bonds…I'll be going back to Earth on my own!' This was going to be terrible…

Julie made mental contact with an angry Ramoth as they landed.

_You abandoned them! Get here this instant or I'll flame you myself!_ Ramoth shouted, wild with panic and fury. Mnementh, bugling his agitation, swooped down and picked up Julie and Kevin and made toward the Hatching Ground before they even had time to get comfortably seated.

Ben covered his ears as the pained shouts of the two dragons reached near intolerability. 'Please hurry…' He silently begged. As if on cue, Paladith let out a joyous roar.

_They come!_ He shouted in relief.

Kevin felt himself being dumped unceremoniously onto the hot sands. He quickly stood up and brushed himself off before looking for the dragon that supposedly wanted him. What was the point? He sure as heck wasn't the one. He was just getting ready to walk away when he felt a hard head nudge his back. He turned around to face the source and felt a sudden warmth erupt in his heart. He was gazing into the eyes of the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. What's more, the creature was gazing back at Kevin…and thought him beautiful. 'How…' He mused in disbelief. 'How could you want a monster like me…?' No. He heard the dragon's vehement rebuttal. Not a monster. He wasn't a monster, but Beauth's friend. Beauth…what a nice name!

_Kevin is a nice name too!_ Beauth replied in an awe filled voice. How amazing Kevin was! How kind, gentle, loyal, funny, strong, and so many other things that couldn't be described in words. _Where were you? I waited!_

"I'm sorry, Beauth!" Kevin whispered, bending down to scratch the brown's eye ridge. "I was late but I'm here now!" Beauth bobbed his head.

_That's what matters! Don't leave again, Kevin! I love you!_

Kevin felt tears come to his eyes at Beauth's words. No one had ever told him that they loved him before. Never. Now, here was this young dragon who just hatched. This young dragon who loved and trusted him without reason or condition. Such a deep bond. Such a true and rare friendship that may never be seen again. "I love you too, Beauth." He touched his cold metal hand to the side of Beauth's long neck and listened to the quiet croon. Another shock hit Kevin's system. Beauth liked the feel of his cold metal and rock! He really liked Kevin's form! Kevin really was beautiful to him. He wasn't a monster. For the first time in his life, he felt right. He felt happy. He was complete.

The gold was darting her eyes back and forth in a frenzy. Quickly, Julie ran over and touched her hand to the dragon's head. The creature turned toward her, her eyes wide. The little queen's panic shot through Julie's mind before dulling to a soft feeling of contentment. The lavender swirled eyes turned into a glistening shade of gold. Julie's heart did a flip and she felt all worry and sadness melt away. Such a sweet creature…such a kind soul… "There, there." Julie whispered, stroking the dragon's forehead. "You're alright." Warmth pulsed in her chest. Aurith was happy. "Aurith? What a lovely name." She murmured softly, cradling Aurith's golden head in her lap. Aurith's thoughts rang loud and clear in Julie's mind. So kind…so loving…so warm… Aurith crooned quietly.

_You scared me, Julie. I thought you wouldn't come._ Distress crept back into her mind once more. Julie immediately hugged the little beauty.

"Shhhh…I'm sorry…don't worry anymore…I'm here …" Aurith was happy.

_I hunger…_

Julie smiled affectionately. "We'll go get you something to eat." She scratched at the dragon's itching eye ridge, listening to her content thrumming. Nothing could take her away from Pern now. She would stay…she would stay with her partner, her best friend, her sister, her dragon.

It was all Ben could do to not jump into the air and let out a whoop. Julie bonded with the little queen! She would be staying! Paladith's excitement added to his own.

_We are all together! Everyone is so happy!_ He was probably jumping up and down like a hyper child.

Runith's thoughts were more calm, though just as happy. _Everything is fine now. You have me, Ben has Paladith, Kevin has Beauth, and Julie has Aurith. We all have each other._

Gwen nodded her head and closed her eyes, feeling her earlier distress, worry, and anger fading into nothingness. 'We all have each other…'

**Sorry I was late. ^_^ Hope you liked it! Just a recap on how I got the dragon names: Paladith is after paladin, or a knight of light. Runith is like rune, or a magical symbol. Beauth is after beau, or beloved (as a Gwevin fan, I think it fits perfectly). Aurith is after auric which is another word for gold. I'll try to update soon. Bye! ^_^ (PS- I wanted to slap Kevin in the Charmcaster episode. Any other takers?)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm updating all but two of my stories as a Christmas present to everyone. Hope you like this Chapter. In this one, everyone is getting accustomed to their new dragons. Kevin is beginning to train Mana to go **_**between**_** and talks with Beauth about his family. During Weyrling classes, the gang has an abrupt and insane lesson concerning the goings on in their new home.**

"K'vin?" Kevin blinked a few times as he absorbed this. "I gotta change my name to K'vin?"

Ben shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently. I dunno what they're changing my name to. I guess since I'm called Ben Ten, they might make me B'ten or something."

"New names…why don't Julie and Gwen have to change their names?"

"Because they're girls, I guess…" Ben muttered, shaking his head. 'Hey, Paladith? Do you know why?'

_Haven't really thought to ask, to be completely honest._ Paladith calmly replied. He let out a yawn. _Could you come back to the room? I itch._

Ben rolled his eyes and grinned affectionately. "Gotta go, Kevin…or K'vin! Paladith is calling!"

"Do me a favor and keep calling me Kevin, okay?" Kevin called after his retreating friend before going back into his own room. 'Hey, Beauth.' He called out softly. Mana looked up from where she had been sleeping in the crook of Beauth's neck and chirped a greeting. "And hello to you too, Mana." Kevin sat down and lightly stroked her head while gazing at his sleeping dragon. He thought back to when he had contacted Grandpa Max and his mom. His mom had pretty much flipped out and Kevin had ended up hanging up. Guilt flashed through his system. He hadn't wanted to upset his mother…but Beauth needed him now! He couldn't go back even if he wanted to!

_You're still conflicted, aren't you Kevin?_ Beauth asked as he woke up. He nuzzled Kevin's chest, crooning comfortingly. _Don't be. You did the right thing. If you hadn't come back, I'd be dead._

Kevin felt his stomach lurch at the very thought of Beauth disappearing _between_. 'Thank goodness I wasn't too late…' He thought to himself before speaking to Beauth. 'I just don't want my mom to be sad. I mean, I know that I did the right thing but I wish that Mom would be more understanding.'

_Maybe you can send Ship back to Earth and bring her up here to visit._ Beauth felt excited at the very idea. _I'd love to meet your mother!_

'Possibly…' Kevin left it at that. He didn't really like talking about his family to anyone but Beauth persisted.

_I'd like to meet her! Anyone who could have raised someone like you has gotta be-_

'She didn't raise me, Beauth. My step-dad abandoned me when I was a kid. I only reconnected with her recently.' He could clearly feel Beauth's anger.

_Why would he do that?!_ Beauth huffed indignantly.

'I reminded my mom too much of my dad…and my step-dad got jealous…' Beauth snorted in contempt.

_I wouldn't mind meeting him too, only for different reasons…_

'You won't be. Mom divorced him as soon as she found out. Haven't seen him since.'

_Good riddance!_ Beauth nodded his head decisively. _My eye ridge itches, Kevin…could you…_

Kevin had already morphed his metal hand into a brush and began scratching his brown's itching hide. 'You always itch, Beauth.' He chuckled a little. Mana jumped up onto his lap and tilted her head at him. "Hey, Mana. Ready to start training today?" Mana bobbed her head. "Okay. Why don't you try going to the kitchen and back. Bring me something nice from there, okay?" Mana nodded and disappeared. A moment later, she reappeared on Kevin's lap with a meatroll in her jaws. "Good girl!" Kevin broke the roll in two and ate his half while watching his lizard chomp on the other.

"Kevin! It's time for classes." Gwen called as she ran into the room. She stopped and felt a smile come to her face at the sight before her. Beauth's eyes were closed in contentment and Mana was curled up on Kevin's lap while Kevin brushed at Beauth's eye ridge. 'I've never seen him like this.'

Kevin let out a loud groan. "Classes? Now?" He laid down and closed his eyes. "Can't I call in sick?"

"You called in sick four times, Kevin! Come on, it's not so bad!"

"I don't like poetry. I don't like history. That's all we're studying!" Kevin moaned as he sat back up again. "We should be out practicing flying!"

"Kevin, you _know_ that we can't fly after our dragons just hatched a few days ago." She put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Our time will come. Until then, we have out dragons as companions. That's something, right?"

Kevin nodded his head. "Beauth isn't just my companion, Gwen." He patted the brown's hide affectionately. "He's much more than that..."

"The same with me and Runith. Now, come on! We don't want to be late!"

* * *

'Man, R'gul is dull...' Ben thought to himself as the bronze rider went over the old poems and songs.

_I doubt that the Harper songs weren't meant to be this boring!_ Paladith called to Ben as he absorbed the lessons through him.

'Same here.' A roar from outside caught his attention. He ran to the window just in time to see a green shooting up toward the sky. "Wow!" He gasped, marveling at the creature's speed. "Gwen! Guys! Check this out!"

Gwen was already running to the window. "I think it's Morith." She gasped as the green became a mere speck in the sky.

Kevin looked out at the sky. "Look at all the blues and browns! Why're they chasing Morith?"

Julie noticed a couple bronzes also joining in on the flight. 'What's going on?'

R'gul ran over to the four. "Quickly! It's a mating flight! Get into pairs!"

"Pairs? Why pairs?" Asked Gwen, who was still wrapping her head around the idea of a mating flight. "Can't we watch?"

"No need." R'gul chuckled. "You'll feel the effects soon enough."

"Effects?"

"Mating flights awaken similar...urges within the humans who are close by."

Gwen took a moment to contemplate this before her eyes widened with horror. "Is there a way to fight it?"

"No way at all! Everyone will end up doing it once the flight is done."

Julie saw her own panic mirrored in Gwen's face. 'I'm not ready for this!' She felt blind distress fill her to the brim. 'No! Not yet! I'm only fifteen!'

'I can't do this! No way!' Gwen's head whipped around desperately. 'There's gotta be a way to...' An idea struck her. It was a long shot but it might work. Closing her eyes, she allowed her mana to surround her.

Ben felt sick to his stomach. 'I did not sign up for this!' He turned toward Julie, who was on the verge of hysterics. He rushed to her side and hugged her. "It'll be okay, Julie. There's gotta be a way around this!"

Julie whimpered into Ben's chest. She could feel the urges beginning. She had to think fast. "Ship!" She called. "Ship! Come here, boy!" Thank goodness Ship always remained close by. "Mechanical armor, Ship! Hurry!" Obediently, Ship morphed around her and surrounded her with the familiar high tech alien armor.

"Ben! Use the Omnitrix!" Kevin instructed, moving into the far corner. He wasn't feeling any urges or the beginnings of anything. 'My mutant form actually has a plus side.'

"CHROMASTONE!" Ben shouted just as he heard the mating flight reach its climax. He hadn't done so a moment too soon! One more second and...his purple crystal body shuddered at the thought. The four friends stayed that way for the longest time, waiting until they were sure it was truly over. Finally, they all took down their shields except Kevin.

_Mating flights aren't something to fear, Gwen._ Runith stated calmly. _I will mate when I am older, after all._

Gwen felt a pang of fear at that statement. If Runith was the one mating...there would be no escaping the consequences. She glanced at Julie, who was clearly receiving the same message from Aurith. The two girls locked eyes for a moment before silently agreeing to wait. They had plenty of time before they had to worry after all...

**Clear this up for me: Dragons mate once they're three Turns and they can start flying with riders when they're one Turn. Is that right? Until weyrlings can fly, what do they do? I still have a bunch of empty pages here. Hope you enjoyed it!**


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